


The Fake Crew

by Vivid_Blue_Magic



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Team Crafted
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe, Gun Violence, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:37:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivid_Blue_Magic/pseuds/Vivid_Blue_Magic
Summary: If Team Crafted was in GTA. Really inspired off of FAHC from Achievement Hunter.--Eight people stand and watch the city burn before them.The leader, the negotiator, the bodyguard, the hacker, the getaway driver, the sniper, the frontman, and the arsonist holding the lighter.





	The Fake Crew

**Author's Note:**

> I've added a lot of my own headcanons into this story and I plan on doing smaller one-shots based in this au.

Ashy smoke rose from the burning building as two figures raced out into the back alley. The tallest one held a backpack tight in one hand and a gun in the other. The smaller one had a bag, using both hands to grip it. The two ran through the alleyway and into a side street, stopping at a nearby parked car. The two got in and drove off before anyone could link them to the building.

“We didn’t get it all,” the passenger muffled out before pulling off the black mask that hid his face. The guy had curly brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail and honey-colored eyes. He reached into the compartment by his knees and pulled out a pair of dark shades, concealing his eyes before looking at his partner.

The driver had already taken off the mask, his black hair was in a messy bun from being under the fabric. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the road; instead, he held out one hand to his partner. Knowing the gesture far too well, the other handed his own pair of shades.

“Someone ran into the panic alarm,” the driver spoke coolly as he slipped on the shades, “Your bag has the least amount, Adam.”

The passenger named Adam was about to open his mouth to argue but stopped when his partner turned a corner too sharp and knocked into a stop sign. The sign was bent over, but the driver kept going, pushing the gas pedal a little harder. Adam reached up and grabbed the handle above his window, knuckles going white.

“Ian I swear if there is a dent or scratch I’m taking all the cash. This car was months worth of heists,” Adam’s ramble turned into a higher pitch as his partner yet again turned a sharp corner.

“I’m making sure we’re not being followed; now shut the fuck up and let me focus.” Ian took a glance at Adam before looking back at the road. They drove out of the city and into the smaller neighborhoods, slowing down and taking more side streets before stopping behind a worn-down house. Adam stepped out of the car and slung the backpack over his shoulder, frowning when seeing the damage to his car. There were only a few scratches but even taking care of them would put a dent in their cash.

Ian walked through the back door first, making a beeline for the bedroom. Adam dropped his bag by the couch before falling onto it, taking off his sunglasses. He grabbed the nearby remote to turn on the tv, the news already playing. The news station was fast, already having a reporter at the site they just left. Fire engines were desperately trying to put out the fire, but it had spread to neighboring buildings.

“They’re blaming another crew,” Adam spoke out loud as Ian walked back into the room, “I thought we made it obvious?”

“There were no witnesses, and we wore masks,” Ian retorted, leaning down and grabbing the bag Adam dropped. Adam muted the Tv and sat up, looking at his friend. Ian let out a sigh, knowing exactly what was coming.

“You know what we need?”

“Another member. You’ve been saying this for months.” Ian pushed the shades he still wore to look at Adam. “You know we can’t trust anyone. I know you want a crew, but we have done fine the past few years.”

“This house sucks,” Adam said it like it would make a difference, but Ian had heard this point each time they argued.

“It’s undetectable.”

“I don’t care about flying under the radar, I want us to be better off and not living off what little we grab,” Adam countered back, voice and head dropping a bit, “I got us into this life, and I want to at least make it up to you.”

Ian let out another sigh before going over to his friend and sitting next to him. He gently pushed his shoulder against Adams, getting him to look up. “I chose to get into this mess with you, and I promise to stick with you,” Ian said quietly, getting Adam to smile a bit. The two watched the news play out, seeing the blame placed on a crew the two escaped years ago.

\--

By the time the sun had set the two headed out into the city in Ian’s car. It looked as if it was in better shape than Adam’s, but it was older and falling apart. After counting and splitting the cash, the two decided to stock up on anything they needed for the rest of the week. That included ammo. The only place that was trustworthy enough was a small shop tucked away under a highway. It was run by three people, all going under code names.

Adam stepped out of the car and was the first to walk into the building seeing the ringleader, Ant, behind the counter talking to another customer. Ant was the type of person you did not want to see running a shop full of guns. He had a short fuse and rarely negotiated prices. Adam waited by the door until Ian came in before going up to the counter. As they walked up, Ant twirled a knife from where he had it hidden and stabbed it into the wooden table, getting it close to the customer's hand.

“Get the fuck out.”

Ian and Adam moved aside as the person left, clearly annoyed. Ant looked over at the two and rolled his eyes, pulling the knife out of the table with a jerk. He concealed it under the counter before looking up at the two.

“Oh great. My favorite customers,” Ant said in a deadpan voice. Ian went over and pulled a stack of cash out, getting Ant to raise an eyebrow. “Now we’re speaking the same language.”

“What’s the newest thing you got?” Adam asked, a grin spreading on his face. Ant crossed his arms and drummed his fingers on his elbow, humming in thought. He raised a finger to say wait and headed into the back that was blocked out by a curtain hung up by nails. As he did his two friends, or coworkers, popped out to see the two. They knew them by their nicknames, Cave and Swift, and nothing else. Ant was sure only to use nicknames, being paranoid that cops will come looking.

“We just got a shipment this morning,” Cave explained. Swift nodded his head in agreement. “Ant said not to tell anyone, but your frequent buyers so we decided to made an exception.”

Ant came back out with a case, unlocking the latches and pulling out a handgun. Ian stepped closer, leaning forward to get a better look. Ant set the weapon on the table with a thud, still expressionless.

“Glock 22. Cave got his hands on it and changed it up a bit. It can cause five rapid shots before you need to reload. Sky back the fuck up,” Ant cut himself off when Adam began to move his hand to touch it. Adam and Ian never told Ant their names. To Ant, they were Sky and Ssun. Adam took a step back, looking a bit disappointed. Ant watched him for a few more seconds before picking the weapons up and storing it back into the case.

“This gun is too expensive and one of a kind. I snuck it from the Chief's office.” Ant finally lets a smile slip onto his face before becoming emotionless again. Ian let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders, about to ask for another weapon, but Adam beat him to it.

“You stole it from the Chief of Police?” Adam was back up by the counter, looking at Ant with excitement. This time Ant is the one to back up, while Ian took Adam's shoulder and pulled him away.

“I have contacts,” Ant explained, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. “Now if you’re not going to buy anything I would suggest leaving before a knife is lodged in your head.”

\--

After leaving the shop with new ammo, Ian suggested they go home and put on the news to see if anything had updated on their job. Adam had another idea, and he usually got his way. This leads to them hiding the ammo in a back compartment and driving further into the city that never sleeps. Various restaurants and bars lined and lit up the streets, blotting out any stars in the night sky.

At the moment Ian and Adam were situated at the very corner table in a bar, drinks long forgotten as they watched the people around them. Both were hunched close together, whispering about some of the more abstract patrons. On the other far side, a group had begun to gather, matching logos printed on their jackets. Adam considered them rivals, but Ian turned the thought down quick anytime it was brought up. The two weren’t even considered a crew, let alone rivals to other crews and gangs.

While the two talked, neither noticed how a lone person was getting closer and closer to Adam, a black hood covering the person's face. Still going unnoticed, his hand reached over until it was pulling a wallet from Adam’s back pocket. Before he could make a break for it, Ian turned his attention to him, causing the person to freeze. Adam then also turned around, frowning slightly before smirking.

“If you need the money that badly, you could have asked,” Adam said, then held out his hand. It seemed to throw the person off, lowering the wallet before placing it in Adam’s open palm. He then moved to remove his hood. His hair was pushed back with a dark green headband, matching his eyes. He narrowed his eyes and moved to stand in front of their table.

“I don’t beg,” The person sneered, making Ian frown and shift. Adam gave Ian a glance before looking back at the person, smiling just a bit. The stranger raised an eyebrow.

“Name?” Adam asked with curiosity.

“Why would I tell you?”

“Cause I asked for it,” Adam’s voice stayed kind, seeming to make the person uneasy with each second.

“I… go by Lox,” Lox looked away from Adam, crossing his arms, “You seem way too nice for a crew leader.”

“You think I’m a crew leader?” Adam brightened up, now making Ian look even more worried. Lox’s eyes widened before he huffed, glaring at the two.

“You’re telling me I wasted my time on a broke person? Great. Thanks. I needed to eat tonight, asshole.” Lox glanced around the bar and took a step away, but was grabbed by Adam before he could escape.

“I am in need of a crew,” Adam said, “pickpocketing could come in handy for heists.”

“Sky no we talked about this,” Ian interjected, using their code names. Lox glanced between the two before shaking his arm free of Adam’s grip, taking a step back towards them.

“I get 40 percent of the cash.” Lox leaned closer, resting his elbows on the table. Ian inched back, looking at Adam.

“35 and you get your own room.” Adam countered, leaning close to Lox. Neither seemed fazed. Lox appeared to consider this, humming in thought before matching Adam’s smirk.

“37 and I don’t stab you in the back.” Lox raised an eyebrow, waiting for Adam’s offer. The other sat in silence for a moment, staring Lox down before resting his elbows on the table to match Lox.

“36 and Ssun will make dinner.”

“Sky I swear to God I will poison you,” Ian snapped, getting Lox to grin even more.

“That’s a fucking deal.”

\--

Letting out a sign, Ian watched the smoke drift into the air, disappearing into the dark. He rested his arms against the balcony railing, making sure the cigarette in hand was hanging over the edge. Adam was sitting on the railing next to him, back against the house. The two brought back Lox to their apartment, only for him to lock himself in the spare room. Ian and Adam spent a good few minutes arguing on the balcony until Adam refused to speak, choosing instead to grab more alcohol and sit by Ian. The silence lasted only minutes.

“It’s a start,” Adam spoke up, getting ready to fight over the topic again. Ian signed and closed his eyes, not really wanting to deal with him. “Think about it, Ian. With maybe one or two more we can do bigger heists. Make a name for ourselves.”

“That’s what you want. I want us to stay low and not draw attention to ourselves. Think about it, Adam.” Ian paused, taking a drag and blowing out smoke. “We escaped the biggest crew barely clinging to life. If they catch a word, they’ll execute us. How do we know that he isn’t with them?”

“I know you don’t have an eye for minor detail.” Adam suddenly sat up, eyes narrowing. “I had to learn from negotiating with that crew. Lox looked like a walking skeleton, and he did nothing to hide it. Someone would do that when needing help. Hell, he was taller than me, and I could have snapped his arm. He can do nothing to hurt us.” He suddenly looked away. “You’re right with one thing. I want a crew, and I’m willing to take anyone in. But this is a start. I promised to protect us from that crew and I will”

Ian kept silent for a moment, waiting for Adam to look back at him. It never happened. Ian turned back out over the balcony, taking another drag of his cigarette. Things became quiet between the two again, the only noise drifting in from neighboring houses.

\--

Within months Lox, now known as Ty to them, was learning negotiation tactics from Adam. Learning how to hide weaknesses and twist words to get things in their favor. Adam spent more time over blueprints and counting the cash they earned; while Ian dealt with Ant and ammo. Heists were few and far in between, and the apartment they resided in was becoming too dangerous. Ian kept seeing more and more police cars in the area, and Ty had been followed for blocks by other crews they were beginning to run into.

The three were sitting at the dining room table in silence, looking at plans. Ty was half asleep, and Ian was double-checking everything. Adam was lost in thought, staring at one spot for nearly an hour. He suddenly slammed his hands down, getting Ty to jump and reach for his knife while Ian looked up annoyed.

“We need another,” Adam said with confidence, getting Ian to roll his eyes.

“Who did you see in the streets?” Ian didn’t look happy but wasn’t going to argue over it. It wasn’t a bad idea for the time being. Ty relaxed and slumped in his chair, closing his eyes and pretending to fall asleep.

“No, no, no. A crew in the neighboring city has been known for selling bodyguards to crew leaders. I’ve been talking to Ant and his customers. Remember that blue-haired guy Syndi who’s starting the Dynamite Crew? He got his bodyguard from there. We find one there.” Adam got more and more excited as he spoke, but Ian’s frown and annoyance grew with the idea.

“First of all. What if they’re spies? Second of all. Syndi is a few screws short of being trustworthy. I’m not sending you and Ty over there. Third of all. We only have three rooms.” Ian counted on his hand, but it went over Adam’s head.

“First. I don’t care. Second. Who said you can’t join us? Third. I’ll just sleep in your room. We’ve shared a bed before.” Adam’s last point seemed to ‘wake’ Ty right up.

“Aw, you two shared a bed. That’s such a romantic trope,” Ty cooed, getting Ian to look away and for Adam to glare at Ty. Ty laughed and sat up straight, putting his hands up in defeat. “I’m ready for a road trip. And a new member. I’m sick of seeing you two act like a couple.”

“We do not.” Ian and Adam said at the same time, getting Ty to laugh again. Ian looked back at the blueprints, avoiding eye contact. Adam took this as a victory and pulled out his phone, getting up and making a call. Ty slipped back down and crossed his arms, looking smug. Adam spoke lowly on the phone, nodding along to whatever the person said on the other line. Ian turned his attention to Adam when he hung up, waiting for news.

“We meet them tomorrow. The person on the phone warned us not to bring weapons so just bring small ones that you can hide. Ty, I’ll handle the talking since this a crew we’ve never met.” Ty nodded at Sky’s direction, making a point and pulling out his knife. Ian hummed in agreement and began folding up the plans, planning ahead of where to hide things while they’re gone.

\--

The warehouse was silent, besides the occasional shift of body armor or gun. Adam had his elbows resting against the white table he sat at, fingers folded and placed in front of his mouth. It was a tactic to hide any smile or frown that might slip through the facade. Ian and Ty stood behind him, both their arms crossed and hands lowered to hover near the hidden weapons. Across from them was an older guy, a smirk on his face. At least 5 gunmen were walking the area, while two others were staying close to him.

“I can only show you pictures, it’s my own protocol,” the leader spoke up, a grin spreading. He pulled a book from under the table from who knows where; sliding it across to Adam. He made no move to open it. Instead, he lowered his hands just a bit and kept them folded on the table.

“Word got around that you had some rejects. I’m interested in those ones.” Adam moved the book back as he spoke, the grin leaving the leader’s face. The guards looked at each other nervously as Ian shifted his weight, looking worried as well.

“They’re rejected for a reason,” the leader growled out. Adam kept a straight face, tilting his head just slightly. Arms still placed on the table and fingers still tight together.

“I like a project. And think of it as me taking your trash, but paying you,” As Adam spoke the leader's face became unreadable, but despite best efforts, Ian couldn’t hide the shock on his face. Adam grinned for a second before going emotionless again. The leader then copied Adam’s posture, but more hunched over.

“We have one. He’s been brought back twice due to failing orders. People give him one look and only see his strength, but he’s a coward when it comes to completing orders.” The leader's voice became hushed almost like this reject would hear. Adam nodded along and brought his hands back up to cover his face, shifting just slightly.

“What were the orders?’ Adam asked, frowning when the leader chuckled.

“Classified. But I can say the orders involved the killing category. On the other hand, he has an impressive streak on listening to every word you say. No backtalk or disagreement. We made sure of that,” The leader sounded proud, taking no notice on how nervous Ian and Ty were beginning to look. Adam hummed in thought and nodded, sitting straighter in his chair.

“Ok, I’d like to buy him. His price?”

“By now, I’m willing just to kill him. So take him off my hands. Think of it as an alliance,” the leader had a smirk again, but Adam raised his hands again to cover his mouth, keeping his face hidden.

“Oh, I insist on paying. How does a thousand sound?” Adam’s insistence had the leader grinning, but Ian more on edge. Ty glanced around, seeing more gunmen in the area.

“If you insist, then I’ll raise the price to two thousand.”

Adam nodded slowly, eyebrows narrowing just slightly. The leader seemed to notice this and leaned forward, smiling dropping. “What seems to be the problem? The price suddenly too high for you?”

“What’s to say you won’t come after us when we hit it big?” Adam questioned. There a pause before the leader laughed, making Ty jump. Adam twitched into a frown but became emotionless when the boss looked back up.

“Sorry, the sudden thought of you making it ‘big’ was humorous to me,” the guy chuckled before breaking back into a grin, “but to ease your mind, an extra thousand should guarantee us leaving you alone. Famous or not. You have my word.”

“It’s a deal,” Adam said rather quickly, moving one hand across the table to shake the leaders. The guy looked startled at how quick he agreed but hesitantly shook it anyway.

“He’ll be brought out soon, how about you wait outside.”

“Oh we don’t mind waiting here,” Adam spoke while taking out three stacks of wadded bills. Ian’s eyes widen, about to saying something but a nudge from Ty stopped him. The leader took the cash and scanned it, nodding to the silent counting. He made a hand motion and one gunman left, making the tension in the air disappear. Adam intertwined his fingers again, once again resting them on the table.

The gunman returned leading another person, and in seconds Adam wanted to take the person home. On one side of his face was a deep scar running across his jaw reaching his ear, and by what was showing he looked bruised to the point of overlaps. Ian winced and Ty’s stiffened up, both of which began reaching for their weapons. Adam stood up, making his chair screech back.

“We’ll handle it from here. What’s his name?”

“He was brought to us at age 6. He’s been labeled Asf from a lettering system we have going on. The A means our oldest. S is his placement, and F because he’s unwanted.” The Leader explained, seeming completely unfazed by how bruised up the ‘bodyguard’ look. “And the deal is sealed. No refunds unless you plan to kill him.”

“I said we’ll handle it. Make your gunman move away,” Adam’s voice became cold, startling the leader. Adam’s voice had been so monotone the entire time, the change even made Ian panic. The leader moved back alongside the gunman, and Ian quickly moved to the person and walked him over. Adam took another step back, signaling Ty and the other two to start walking outside. Adam kept his eyes on the leader as he moved with his back towards the door, only turning around when it shut.

“Lox, take… him to the car. Ssun, I want you to drive and make absolutely sure they’re not following. I don’t trust them for a second.” Adam moved quickly to the car, leaving the two to scramble and help the new person to the car. He had been silent the whole time, not looking at anyone. Adam looked angry, infuriated was a closer word to describing it. In no time they were in the car and driving off, with no signs of anyone following. Ian let out a breath he’d been holding, looking less and less nervous.

-“Ad- Sky-,” Ty spoke up from the back but quieted down when given a glance from the rearview mirror.

“I just wanted to be sure,” Adam explained himself. They all had agreed not to go over two thousand earlier. Ian didn’t even know Adam had that extra cash. “I thought it would be more convincing to keep him off our ass if he ever found us. I should have shot him.” Adam kept his eyes out the window, apparently not wanting to talk. Ian bit on his lip and sped up the car, wanting to get home already. It would take hours, and the dead silence in the car wasn’t helping.

\--

Back on the balcony, Ian lit another cigarette, hearing Adam jump on a chair to reach his normal sitting area. They had just gotten home and Ty was coaxing the person to the bathroom, making promises of food after he was cleaned up. Adam felt the heavy silence grow with each second, not looking at Ian knowing that he wasn’t getting away with what he did.

“We have no extra cash to buy food for all of us now,” Ian spoke up after a second, making Adam flinch before shrinking in on himself.

“We won’t ever ‘make it big,’” Ian added on, taking a long drag before blowing out the smoke. “There was no need to give him that money.”

“But we will,” Adam began insisting, “Now that we have another person we can have him on the front. You can focus on getting us out of there and Ty-”

Ian dropped the cigarette and stomped on it a little too harshly, making Adam quiet down. Without another word Ian walked back inside, disappearing around the corner. Adam hopped off the ledge and walked inside after Ian, seeing their shared room door shut and most likely locked. He could hear Ty mumbling to the new person, hearing the mentions of his own room.

\--

“The last heist went slightly astray, but we were able to pull in about 10 grand, counting the guns we got for Ant,” Adam mumbled out quietly, leaning in a little bit closer when people passed by. While they should wait and save the conversation for when they’re home, Adam was just too ecstatic about it. It was their first big one since they had four people, and it counted them as now being on ‘crew radar.’ Ian sat next to him, glancing around every so often in the bar they were in to see if anyone was watching them. They were in the corner area again, but the bar was nearly empty. Ty had gone off and was talking to a small group, smiling and laughing along.

“Don’t count for things you don’t have yet Sky, we still need to get to Ant’s,” Ian spoke up, getting Adam to look defeated for only a second.

“He can wait. Besides he didn’t ask for them to be ASAP.” Adam waved off the worry, getting Ian to sigh and take a sip of his drink. To the left of Adam was the newest member, furthest back into the corner and watching everything around him. Months had passed since they took him in and almost all the injuries were healed, except for the scar on his jaw. The first month was radio silence from him, only getting a nod here and there when Sky asked for his opinion. After a couple of heists, the guy finally said that he went by Jerome before being taken. At the moment he was watching Ty, a concerned look on his face. What lacked in words could be read on his face in seconds.

“Lox is reckless,” Ian said, getting Jerome to jump. “He always goes and makes people pay for his drinks. Then Sky and I have to go back him up if he steals a wallet.”

“Which works sometimes,” Adam added in, he then faced Jerome. “Opinion on the heist?”

Jerome straightened up, now easily towering over Adam. He cleared his throat and glanced around, “I made a couple of mistakes when doing crowd control. I let them reach the alarm bell and-”

“Wasn’t your fault,” Adam interjected, “Lox was supposed to disable the alarm.”

“Then I let the line slip and police came in-”

“Which I should have been handling outside,” Adam continued, looking a bit concerned before humming in thought, “we really need to buy earpieces, so communication is easier. I hear Dawn over at the costume shop sells them.”

Jerome opened his mouth to argue but thought against it, choosing to sink back into his chair. Ian shook his head and messed with his drink, glancing over to see Ty walking back with a defeated look. Adam sat up a bit in his chair to glance around Ian, trying to see whom Ty was walking away from. The first guy that stood out was a person with bright blue hair, leaning against the wall and smirking in their direction.

“Hey, Sky I need to borrow a twenty. I lost a bet,” Ty asked as soon as he was at their table, not even hesitating to ask. Adam raised an eyebrow and glanced at the blue hair person still looking at them, a little shocked that the person waved at them. Ian shifted a bit and looked at Jerome, giving a small signal just to be ready.

“When did you start gambling?” Adam pulled out his wallet and handed him the cash, also not hesitating. Ty rolled it into his hand and shrugged, crossing his arms.

“Dude looked interesting. Said I could earn quick cash if I beat him in darts. He got bullseyes each time. Guess I got cheated,” Ty explained, “plus he’s fucking cute. Blue hair and piercings? Swoon. How could I not entertain him?”

Ian rolled his eyes and relaxed as Jerome quietly let out a sigh, looking guilty when Adam glanced at them both. While the four were distracted no one noticed the guy walking over to them. As soon as he was close enough, the others saw and became silent. Adam kept his eyes on him while Jerome held his hand close to his weapon. Up close they could notice the person’s piercings, two on his lip with a couple running up his ears.

“If I had known I would be the center of attention I would have prettied myself up,” The guy gloated, winking at Ty.

“Heard you cheated my friend out of a bet,” Adam stated.

“Saw you hand him money like it happens every night. You’re his sugar daddy?” The guy grinned while Adam looked stunned to silence. Both Ian and Jerome glared at the guy, but he didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he looked at Ty with the grin still on his face.

“This the crew you were talking about?” Ty nodded at his question, seeming unfazed by the guy’s behavior.

“I’m looking to join a crew. Names Kip,” The guy explained. Adam nodded slowly, looking unimpressed. “Now I know you three must hate me because I swept Lox here off his feet. But I’m a fantastic sniper and medic.”

“We’re not accepting new members,” Ian spoke up, clearly sounding annoyed. Kip hummed in thought and looked at Adam.

“Lox said you’re struggling. Having a hard time keeping things under wrap?” Kip seemed to strike a chord as Adam sent a look to Ty, who quickly ducked his head down. Ian sighed loudly and rubbed his temple, looking at Adam.

“He’s not wrong. Let’s at least do one heist with him,” Ian sounded unsure, but his attitude towards the situation was surprising but convincing enough for Adam. The leader looked at Kip and nodded, holding a hand out for him to shake.

\--

Tightening the hoodie over his face Ty moved through the small store, making sure that he wouldn’t be recognized. The store was empty and quiet enough to hear the music playing overhead, being something classical. He was able to convince Adam to let him go alone, saying he’d be careful and quick. Ty made his way to the back of the store to where the pharmacy was, holding a basket with a mix of different items close to him. As soon as he was about to turn down an aisle he stopped and took a step back, looking at the guy who was already in that aisle.

This person wore a checkered hoodie that was far too big on him and looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. He looked nervous as he looked over the various products before him, glancing around but not seeming to notice Ty. As Ty was about to step forward, he watched the guy snag a box and hide it in his hoodie. This got Ty’s attention, now moving from his hiding spot and standing next to the person who suddenly looked scared, like a deer caught in headlights.

“So many choices huh?” Ty began, sending the guy a smirk. The guy looked away, tightening his jacket. Ty pulled a box off the shelf and hid it under some things. The guy watched with some curiosity, hands still gripping the jacket tightly.

“Are you,” the guy began meekly, shutting up when Ty looked back at him with a glare.

“Want to finish that sentence?”

The guy shook his head and looked away, getting Ty to soften up. He sighed and held out his hand to the guy, waiting patiently until the guy got the hint and gave Ty the box. He put it in the basket and motioned the guy to follow him, turning and walking up to the front of the store. Before reaching the front though Ty turned down another aisle, this one full of chips.

“How long have you been on the streets?” Ty questioned the guy. “Better yet what’s your name?”

“M-Mitch,” the guy stammered, instantly tearing up, “please don’t tell the owner I was planning to steal! I-I don’t have the money and I don’t want to-”

“Keep your voice down,” Ty hissed, getting Mitch to shut up. “I get it, being stuck without money sucks. How long. have you been. on the streets.”

Mitch sniffled, wrapping the jacket tighter around him, “Several years? I traveled down from Canada when I was about 12.”

Ty nodded and grabbed a random bag of chips before walking off again, hearing Mitch follow. “Got any talents besides stealing?”

“I can aim a gun,” Mitch quietly spoke, almost stumbling into Ty when he stopped. Ty grabbed another item off the shelf and kept walking, not slowing his pace.

“If it’s a handgun I’m not calling it a talent. Anything else?” Ty stopped and turned to look at Mitch, making the other freeze up.

“I- I snuck some military-grade guns from Canada to the US, but sold them for things,” Mitch said, beginning to sound like he was speaking in one breath. Ty narrowed his eyes at the other, seeing that the other looked pale and was swaying in one spot. Ty shifted the basket to his other arm and used the free hand to reach for Mitch. The other took a step back, swayed, and let out a breath of air. His eyes rolled to the back of his head before collapsing. Ty dropped the basket and caught Mitch, panic rising.

“Shit.”

\--

With arms crossed and a scowl on his face, Ty sat directly in front of Adam and Ian in the makeshift office. Just an hour ago he came rushing in with Mitch in his arms yelling for Kip, now known as Quentin or Quen for short, to help him. Adam and Ian were, of course, shocked to see Mitch but Ty wasn’t letting anyone near beside Quen, rapidly speaking to him in a hushed tone. When they got Mitch into Ty’s room, Adam had a chance to talk to Ty alone. Now here they were.

“Who and why did you bring him here,” Adam started, seeing Ty shift in his seat.

“Mitch and he fainted,” Ty replied curtly. Ian raised an eyebrow and glanced at Adam, seeing his eye twitch.

“Why did you bring Mitch here?”

“I was interrogating him, and he fainted.” Ty once again replied shortly, arms tightening on his chest. The other two shared a look, getting a feeling Ty was hiding something.

“I know he fainted. I want to know what was so special about him that made you bring him here,” Adam’s voice was harsh but still lowered.

“You could have alerted the store owner as easily or let anyone else deal with it,” Ian added in, sounding softer than Adam but still concerned.

“He was stealing. Let me check on him.” Ty demanded. Now their suspicions were confirmed. Ty rarely acted against them or hid anything since they brought him in.

“No. Can we get a clear answer now Ty? The longer you stay protective over this stranger, the less convinced I am to keep him,” Adam raised his voice slightly, getting Ty to flinch and stiffen up. Ian sucked in his breath and looked at Adam, a little startled by his outburst. Adam quickly saw his mistake and relaxed in his chair, closing his eyes and taking a breath before opening them again.

“Ty,” his voice was quiet, “why are you protective of Mitch?”

Ty shifted in his seat, tilting his head down. Ian went to speak up but froze when he heard a sniffle coming from Ty. His shoulders shook slightly before looking again, Ty still looked angry, but it was masking the tears forming in his eyes.

“You can’t tell anyone. You can’t, nobody,” Ty said, sounding strained now. Adam nodded instantly, leaning forward in interest. Ty took in a shaky breath, eyes rapidly moving back and forth to avoid making eye contact with either of the two.

“Um, he and I are, well,” Ty paused, shifting in his seat once again. “Ok. I’m just gonna say it. We’re both... transitioning... genders...“

Adam nodded slowly, face going from confusion to understanding. “Ok. It makes sense why you were protecting him. So what do you two need?”

Ty blinked, looking confused, “You’re not kicking me out?”

“Why would I?” Adam motioned upward. “This doesn’t stop you from doing your job. You’re still our best pickpocketer and negotiator alongside me. Plus any crew we talk to seems to not notice us scamming them.”

“What Adam is trying to say,” Ian cut in, seeing Ty starting to stiffen up. “You’re still Ty to us.”

Ty looked to the floor, seeming to process what was happening. He nodded slowly, looking up and giving both of them a small smile. Sky motioned to the door, and Ty left in a flash, leaving the two alone.

\--

They found themselves outside on the balcony, the door closed to hold some privacy from the now crowded apartment. After Ty went back to see if Mitch was awake, and also to give news that he could stay, the two slipped out. Ian went over to his usual spot, going to pull a cigarette but found none. He frowned but stayed leaning against the balcony now facing Adam. Adam was back sitting on the railing, swinging his legs over the edge.

“Ran out?” Adam asked, getting only a nod from Ian, “you know those things are bad right?”

“First time hearing you say that, especially since I find you passed out drunk every now and then,” Ian counted, making Adam fake a hurt gasp.

“How dare. I’m looking out for you’re well being.”

“So am I.”

The two fell silent, hearing faint voices through the sliding glass door. Ian let out a sigh and pushed himself off the rail, getting Adam to lean forward as if to follow if he left. Ian stayed next to the other, eyebrows down in thought as he stared ahead. Adam shifted in his spot before hopping down and looking inside as well, seeing no one.

“We need a bigger apartment. With everyone pairing off to share a room there’s gonna be problems,” Ian said, glancing over at Adam, “but it now means we need a bigger income.”

“We just need one successful heist.” Adam moved to stand in front of Ian, “once we figure out what Mitch can handle we plan one. With six of us, we can hit that local bank a town over without any consequences.”

Ian nodded and glanced back to the door, seeing that Ty and Mitch had moved to the living room. “I’m worried that Mitch will lag. I have the job as the getaway driver. You and Ty are runners and Jerome and Kip got our cover. What would Mitch do?”

“Second vehicle? You can’t be discreet with a big van to hold us all,” Sky pointed out. Ian nodded again, rolling his shoulders before walking forward.

“We’ll see. Let’s head inside now before we scare the newcomer.”

\--

It was around midnight when everyone was piling into the elevator. Ian had found an apartment to fit all of them without any of them sharing a room since Ty was adamant about it. Plus it was about the same rent price as the last place but was in a bad part of town. Another problem was a minute ride in a cramped elevator. Ty was leaning on one side of the wall, keeping Mitch caged in his arms and pressed against him; both half-awake. Jerome took the other side while the other three stood in the middle, Quentin rocking back and forth from lack of sleep.

Adam yawned, not even bothering to hide it and watched in amusement as Jerome and Ty yawned back. Which then got Mitch and Quen yawning. Ian shot a glare at Adam but was broken off with a yawn. Adam quietly laughed, then yelped as Ty kicked his leg.

“Hey!”

“Stop. I’m tired enough,” Ty quietly hissed, keeping his voice low. Talking loud enough in the elevator made it echo, and no one felt like breaking the lulling quiet.

Adam had insisted they do a heist late at night, saying there’s less of a chance for innocent bystanders being in the way and for there to be more cops around. Now it was 3 am, and they were only able to open one safe in a bank two towns over, the others being on a security night lock no one could figure out.

“This was a bust. We only got at least a thousand. It’s only enough to pay rent,” Quen whined, letting the bag he was holding drop with a thud, “I was promised a lavishing life.”

“We didn’t promise anything,” Ian countered, “and if you want to earn more learn to code.”

Quen went quiet, the lulling silence now tense. The bell dinged, and the elevator doors opened, making everyone rush out. Adam was the first to the apartment door, feeling his pockets for the keys. Ian stepped in front and pulled the keys out of his pocket, opening the door to the pitch-black room.

Or it should have been. There was a faint glow in the living room, and when seeing it, Adam went silent. The others soon got the hint when Adam pulled a small handgun out, raising it and walking slowly into the apartment. Ian followed behind while the rest stayed back. The two walked further in, Adam going for the light source while Ian went straight to the light switch, flipping it when Adam was close enough.

The first shock was the stranger sitting on their couch cross-legged with a laptop. Next was how utterly bored the stranger looked, not even fazed by the gun that Adam held. The guy looked young, probably close to being a teenager. The other four soon followed in, also stunned to see the stranger.

“Your security sucks,” the stranger spoke up, voice also sounding young. “Your landlord does nothing to hide your names or rent payments. Even a beginner computer specialist could get both you’re deposits and account number.”

“And you are?” Adam didn’t lower the gun. The person stared at Adam, and it became apparent that he had one blue eye and one green eye. He moved the laptop off his lap and stood up, just an inch shorter than Adam.

“You can call me Mu. I’m a hacker for hire, but I prefer the term computer specialist.” Mu shrugged, jabbing his thumb towards his laptop. “The Misfit Crew paid me to get your names, but now I’m honestly interested in how the fuck you started this crew. I mean there’s no trace that you hired any of your teammates.”

By then Adam had lowered his gun, positively sure that Mu meant no harm; besides stealing their cash and learning their names. The others had also begun to relax, but the mention of ‘hiring’ made Jerome fidget in his spot.

“All it took was the power of friendship,” Quen piped up, getting Ty to shove him. Mu raised an eyebrow and let out a small ‘huh.’ Ian sighed and moved to stand by Adam, raising his hands up just slightly.

“Clearly you’re just here to get our names. And it’s not like we’re actively trying to hide them-”

“Well, I can cut a deal with you. I can guarantee your protection, as well as help you with any heist if I get a 15 percent cut and your name.” Mu ended with pointing to Adam, making him back up. Adam glanced around the room, seeing a nod from Quen, a shrug from Jerome, and a glare from Ian.

“17 percent. My name, and yours,” Adam countered.

“Cool. I’m Jason.”

\--

The temporary meeting table sat in the dining room, becoming unbearably tiny with the added chair. Adam sat at the ‘front’, which only meant he took up the most space, while the rest crowded together. Jason had his laptop up, moving it closer to him, so no one looked over his shoulder. Despite it being days later Jason insisted he lives on his own and only is around for heists. He kept saying he was only there for cash but the now stockpile of computer items in their living room made it clear to Ian that he was going to have to move to Adam’s room once again.

“This will be our biggest hit. The city’s main bank is located in the center of downtown and is under three levels of security. Police, alarms, and firewalls. Whatever that means.” Adam glanced over to Jason, who’s head shot up.

“For a crew leader, you’re clueless.”

“But not crewless,” Quen spoke up. Getting a smack to the head from Ty.

“A firewall prevents unwanted authorization, like a hacker, but projects information like who accessed what,” Jason explained, “There are ways to bypass depending on how many were installed.”

“I’ll let you handle that job,” Adam said, now looking over to Jerome, “Like always we can have you posted at the front entrance with Quen on an adjacent building. Ty and Mitch can initiate then take over crowd control with me while Ian waits nearby for our getaway.” He grinned. “Depending on how well this goes, we’ll make it to the big news.”

Mitch suddenly looked up from messing with his hands, appearing nervous. “News? Like Tv?”

“Well yeah,” Quen leaned towards Mitch, grinning, “scared of your face being seen?”

Mitch nodded, looking guilty when Quen laughed. “Hey! It’s a valid concern!” Mitch protested.

“Really? I mean we’re all abandoned. No one’s gonna look for us besides police,” Quen replied shrugging, frowning when Mitch paled. “Wait. Hold on. Someone’s looking for you?”

“Um.” Mitch scratched the back of his neck, “I mean I ran away from home, but my mom never found out I did? I don’t know if she’s still looking for me but-”

“Mitch has a point,” Jerome suddenly spoke up, getting everyone to look at him stunned. He rarely spoke his mind at meetings or any time for that matter. “If his family is looking for him they’ll see him on the news. That’ll put us at risk of being found.” Mitch put his head down, shrinking in on himself, Jerome continued. “Then again that old crew who had me could also come after us. Mitch and I pose a risk to our crew. Hiding our identity could protect us.”

“Are you suggesting we all wear masks, Jerome?” Adam folded his hands together, making Jerome shift in the chair. He ducked his head but raised it slightly when seeing all eyes on him.

“No, I mean only us two.”

Suddenly Mitch stood up and slammed his hands on the table, chair tipping back and hitting the floor. Everyone jumped from the sudden shift of tone and looked at him, seeing a glint of excitement in his eyes. “Does this mean I get to wear a mask? Like a mask straight out of a movie?”

Adam blinked once, twice, before humming in thought. “I don’t see any issue with that-”

“Can I go now? Can I take Jerome?” Mitch grinned, the sudden change of demeanor threw everyone off guard. Jerome glanced over at Adam, seeming to wait for an answer. Despite being equal to the crew for months Jerome still acted like Adam’s bodyguard, continuously asking for permission to leave his side. While it got annoying, Adam understood and never made a comment.

“I see why not, but Jerome has to be ok with going,” Adam prompted, motioning to Jerome. Mitch knelt down to be more level with everyone, the grin not leaving. Jerome glanced over at Mitch, looking a tad nervous before giving a small nod.

\--

It was well past dark when Mitch and Jerome returned, finding Ty and Quen in the living room watching TV. Mitch was holding a bag while Jerome followed behind, looking exhausted. Ty glanced over and grinned standing up and pulling Quen over with him.

“I should have warned you, Mitch is a little hyperactive,” Ty started, pulling Mitch into a side hug. Jerome nodded and leaned to look at everyone else, frowning a bit when not seeing Adam. Quen seemed to notice and motioned to the balcony. Ian and Adam could be seen through the doors, one smoking, and the other drinking.

“Adam couldn’t find his credit card so he went to destress with Ian,” Quen explained, smirking, “though I could teach them another way to relieve stress.

“And we’re moving on,” Ty nearly yelled, keeping an arm around Mitch, “I wanna see the masks.”

“He needed us to twin,” Jerome finally spoke up, the mention of it making Mitch bounce on his toes. He reached into the bag and pulled out two flat plastic masks. Both were in an oval shape that fits around the face but had no dents for the nose or mouth. Each was skin-toned besides two simple black smiley faces, the black being see-through felt. (If you look up tiny potato mask from sky factory. It's a good example and how I got the idea.)

“How’s this suppose to be scary?” Quen piped up, snatching one and looking it over.

“When we’re holding guns it’ll be,” Mitch argued, taking the one back. Quen broke into a laugh, making Mitch look a bit hurt.

“I’ve never seen you fire one! Let alone hold one!”

“I’ve fired one before! A machine gun at that!” That got Quen to quiet down to a snicker.

“Was it a toy one?”

“Enough. Both of you,” Ty snapped. Quen shut up yet was still smirking. Mitch looked a bit hurt but was trying to glare. Jerome had begun to back up but stopped, quietly taking one of the masks. This prompted both to put them on. Mitch’s was upright, but Jerome’s was upside down. Immediately Jerome moved forward towards Quen, despite being only inches taller Jerome made a point to loom over Quen, getting the other to shrink back. Quen’s smirk disappeared, replaced with only a bit of fear, knowing Jerome wouldn’t hurt him too badly if it came to it.

“I can fire a gun. Does that scare you?” Jerome asked, voice muffled but nonetheless terrifying. Quen nodded feverishly and tried to move back but Jerome followed. Before another move could be made the balcony doors opened, having everyone turn to look at Ian and Adam. All six of them froze, either too stunned or confused to register what was happening.

“Cool mask,” Adam finally said after a few seconds, “but don’t wear it in the house please.”

\--

With the heist in place and everything in order, the last stop was the ammo store. Ian and Adam decided to bring along Mitch and Jerome since it was vaguely decided Mitch would be a frontman like Jerome. They parked a bit back but was facing the shop, Ian looking nervous alongside Jerome. It wasn’t common that any of them left the house with more than two besides heists. Ian said it was dangerous and could lead to crew members being captured, but made an exception this time. Mitch once again begged for the two to have matching weapons since a duo did more damage than one.

“Alight. Here are some rules,” Ian began, looking back at the two. “Code names. Jerome goes by ASF and Mitch.”

There was a pause, then a sudden realization among all of them that Mitch never had a code name. Ian leaned back into his chair, covering his face with a groan. Adam could only laugh, also covering his face.

“This is dumb. Okay. Mitch, just don’t talk and if he asks just blurt out a random word.” Adam advised, looking back again to see Mitch barely nod his head. Jerome looked calm but was gripping his seat belt tight. The four got out and walked to the store, Ian opening the door for everyone.

Ant was at the counter polishing his knife, giving a quick glance up before setting the weapon down. “Ssun and Sky. Great to be blinded by your appearance.” Voice monotone, Ant leaned to the side, giving Mitch and Jerome a look. “See you’re finally getting somewhere in life.”

Adam brushed off the sun joke, walking up and resting his elbows on the counter, “Got three more at the hideout. What’s new?”

“Weapons. And what're their names? Cloud, Rain, and Moon?” Ant leaned forward, narrowing his eyes and getting Adam to back up and move his arms.

“Ha. Great joke,” Adam replied with the same level of boredness. Ant moved back and walked the length of the counter, keeping his eyes on Mitch and Jerome. Ian took just a slight step in front of them, matching Ant’s gaze. It didn’t quite work with Mitch suddenly darting out and practically running into the counter. His eyes were glued to a bigger gun hanging on the back wall, and Ant was quick to notice.

“You’re way too young to be in here,” Ant spoke loud, now seeing Ian moving to Mitch.

“He’s. He’s old enough,” Adam retorted, now aware of not knowing any of their ages besides Ian.

“22. How much for the minigun?” Mitch called out, not even noticing the death glare Ant was giving him.

“Out of your price range,” Ant answered, now walking over to where Mitch was. Suddenly aware of the situation, Mitch backed up, shrinking in on himself. “Now answer me this. I don’t sell guns to people I don’t have the name of.”

There were a few seconds of tense silence as Mitch glanced around, and before Ian could interject Mitch straightened up, making it clear to all of them that he had an inch or two over Ant’s height.

“Bajan. Short for… barbarian?”

Ant crossed his armed, fingers drumming. Ian sucked in a breath and Adam looked genuinely pale. Ant then nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

“They go for 30 grand. But since you’ve done a few favors Sky I can drop the price to 15 grand.”

“We want two,” Mitch countered in, getting yet another glare from Ant. Mitch went and moved behind Jerome, peaking out to watch.

“We can do 40 for both?” Adam stepped in, voice rising in pitch with the question. Ant hummed in thought, seeming to think but was more likely faking it.

“I can do 40. But I have an upcoming job for you to do.” Ant concluded, crossing his arms again, “These weapons could come in hand.”  
  
Adam and Ant shook it out while Ian got the money counted out and handed over. Mitch hung back behind Jerome, looking down and messing with his fingers idly. Once the deal was made Ant took the guns down and placed them on the counter. Ian and Adam both took one, holding them carefully. The four made their way back out of the shop, loading the guns into the trunk.

\--

Ty stood in line at the main city bank, looking around and getting a clear idea of the area. The voices of tellers were bouncing off the walls and pillars, making it sound louder than it really was. The bank was the biggest and grandest in the city, standing four stories and having quartz pillars and walls. He was about 10 people back, being that it was the busiest time of the week and it being short-staffed. Ty was holding his phone up to his ear, hiding the earpiece to avoid suspicion.

“I’ve got 5 in the main account. 3 in the savings,” As Ty spoke he looked around, counting the number of officers on-site and using code words. There was about 15 total as Ty counted, more probably hidden in the back. For some reason there was more than usual, meaning either word got out or there was a string of robberies in the area they weren’t aware of.

“Copy that,” Ian responded. He was parked across the street in a van, watching the main doors as people walked in and left. The keys were in the ignition to start the car at the sight of trouble. He could see Jerome and Mitch hanging outside, guns hidden in modified guitar cases.

“Roger Roger,” Quentin chimed through the comm, setting up a bright orange and blue silent sniper on a nearby building. He had a clear view of the main door and street, as well as the side alley where an escape route laid.

“How’s the deal going,” Ty asked, looking to where a camera was located, “we’ve got about 15 running.”

“Don’t rush me,” Jason snapped through the comm, he had his laptop set up in the spare room back at the apartment, lights all off. “Only having one screen and 15 cameras to look at it is bullshit and time-consuming.”

“We’ll buy you more if this pays off,” Adam spoke up, hiding in the side alley where a back door was. Two empty bags were by his feet. “We’ve still got a 15-minute window where the guards are switching positions.”

Ty turned to look at where the main door was where two guards were posted. They had gotten ahold of the schedule thanks to Jason, and the guards should all be moving around at this time creating the perfect chance of confusion. He looked back ahead, seeing only 3 people now in front of him.

“T-minus 1,” Jason called out, sending out a code breaker to some outside cameras. Looking through the scope, Quentin could see the green blinking light slowly shut off with each camera. He moved to scope through the windows, lining a shot with a guard’s leg. He only had rubber bullets. They all agreed that it was too early in their career to be labeled as killers, still wanting a decent reputation.

Mitch leaned against the building, breath catching as Jason counted down. Their masks were just behind the cases, and when signaled they’d do a rush to block the doors. Jerome nudged Mitched out of his daze, giving him a nod of reassurance. Mitch nodded in return, looking back down at his feet to calm down.

“Setting cameras to replay,” Jason sent out another interference, making all the inside camera play an hour loop from earlier, “clear to go when ready.”

“Wait ‘till I’m done,” Ty spoke, placing the phone in his back pocket. He went up to the counter when he was next, timing perfectly as the front door guards left. He looked to the right and through the window where Quentin should be before turning and giving the teller a smile. “Hi, I’m here to withdraw from my account.”

With that cue Mitch and Jerome went to the front doors, slipping on the masks and hurried to take the guns out. They weren’t what they bought recently from Ant, just simple but intimidating. At the same time, Quentin took the first shot, knocking down a guard and moving to the next within seconds. When panic set it Ty backed up and took his handgun out, firing in the air once. People dropped to the floor as guards came rushing at them. Armed with the same bullets as Quentin, Jerome and Mitch began firing, downing some cops but never aiming at civilians.

When the main room was cleared Jerome and Mitch went to the doors, taking keys from a downed guard and locking the front doors. Sending a thumbs up to Ty, they moved to lock the guards in handcuffs.

“Beginning the next step,” Jason called out, shutting down the silent alarm, “Adam, go in now to help Ty before someone makes a call.”  
  
As Jerome and Mitch began controlling the crowd Ty went back behind the counter area, keeping tellers at gunpoint as he passed. “Get the vault open,” Ty demanded in the comm.

“Fuck off,” Jason shot back, tapping rapidly at the keyboard. “Back door’s open.”

As Ty rounded the corner he found the vault, and coming from the other side was Adam out of breath and holding two black duffle bags. The two went to it, seeing the keypad glitching out before greenlighting. There was a click and the two were able to open it with some force.

“Grab what you can and go. Ian is already hearing things from the police radio,” Adam said through breaths, tossing Ty a bag. Ty nodded and headed inside.

“Lights in the distance,” Quentin warned, looking through the scope, “Jerome and Mitch get out now through Adam’s exit. They’ll try to go through the main door first.”  
  
“There shouldn’t be lights. Someone pulled the alarm before Jason shut it off,” Ian spoke up, growing concerned. “All of you need to get out now. Quentin pack up fast.” He started the car, pulling it out of park and getting ready to drive.

Jerome and Mitch moved slowly before high tailing it, rushing through the back before entering the alleyway. Ty and Adam were close behind them, duffle bags stuffed but not overflowing. Ian didn’t wait and took off, doing a U-turn and parking now near the alley. The four then ran to the van, jumping in. Once they rushed in Ian took off again with a screech of tires, seeing and hearing police cars too close for comfort.

“Where’s Quen?” Ty half yelled, adrenaline still rushing.

“I got a hide-out place here until tonight. Go on!” Quen answered through the comms, packing his sniper and ducking behind the roof as police arrived, “I don’t think they saw the van Ian, they’re stopping at the bank.”

Mitch looked through the back window, seeing no one followed, “Quen’s right. They’re not following us.”

“What I want to know is how they knew so fast,” Adam demanded, more so at Jason.

“I’ve got nothing in the system,” Jason glanced across his screen of codes, “it must have been an outside source like a cell phone.”

“I didn’t see anyone on their phone,” Ty brought up.

“Then someone told the police,” Ian hissed, stopping at a light. The van became very tense then. Adam didn’t tell anyone besides Ant, so it was either him or someone in the crew. Ty shared a glance with Mitch and Jerome, all three looking worried.

\--

Back at the house, there was heavy with silence as the team unloaded their gear and duffle bags onto the meeting table. Adam didn’t look pleased, ruffling through one bag as if he wasn’t happy with what they got. Jason came from the back room, laptop in hand. He looked equally as pissed, setting it down with a dull thud.

“Checking police records show a tip was put out a week ago that someone was robbing this bank,” Jason said. “They were staked out four blocks down waiting for a sign that we were there.”

“Why weren’t you checking the surrounding area?” Ian asked. Jason shot him a glare, slamming the laptop shut.

“Get me 20 fucking monitors and I’ll survey the whole city for you.”  
  
“Guys,” Adam loudly spoke up, getting their attention, “I didn’t even tell Ant until this morning. How could they have known?”

“Then one of you is a traitor,” Jason snapped. Adam turned to look at everyone, not seeming happy with how this outcome was playing out. Jerome shifted on his feet, keeping his arms tightly crossed.

“How do we know it wasn’t you?” Ty challenged, making everyone look at him, “you’re new. And have full access to anything. You probably want the money for yourself.”

Jason scoffed, standing taller to try and match Ty’s height. “Trust me, turning you in is way more profitable than playing this wild goose chase.”

“Let’s not start accusing each other,” Adam said but was ignored.

“You researched into that?!” Ty’s voice was rising.

“Before I even joined this fake crew,” Jason sneered. Ty lunged but Jerome grabbed his arm, yanking him back. Jerome shook his head, not wanting a fight to start. Ian sighed, turning and walking away. He only got a few steps before stopping, turning and looking up. Adam noticed his friend, leaving the argument brewing in the group and going to stand next to him. The stood still for a minute, their attention turned to the ceiling.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

“There’s someone upstairs,” Ian said, loud enough to catch Mitch’s attention. The three listened, trying to hear what Ian heard over the rising argument a few feet away. Ian finally got sick of it, turning to face Ty and Jason.

“I will kick you both out on the streets if you say one more goddamn word,” Ian hissed, getting them both to shut up fast. It was very rare when Ian got mad at any of them. Jerome let go of Ty, moving a step back to remove himself from the fight. As it got quiet, there was a faint sound of footsteps above them. Mitch reached for his mask that rested on the table close by, going to place it on before Jerome stopped him.

“Go hide instead,” Jerome said softly. “We can handle it.”

Mitch didn’t look too sure until Ty took his other arm, ‘I’ll go with you.” Ty glanced to Jerome who let go of Mitch’s arm. Ty pulled Mitch down the hall, tossing the mask onto the couch. Ian waited for them to disappear around the corner before walking towards the stairs to the attic. Jerome followed behind with Adam trailing.

“Guys,” Jason hissed, “where are your guns?”

“They’re unarmed. They would have shot already,” Adam said. Jason scrunched his nose before grabbing his laptop, backing away then turning back down the hall towards his room. Ian kept moving, being inches from the door now. He gave a quick glance to the remaining crew, giving a short nod before opening the door fast. No one was expecting a guy to be standing at the foot of the stairs.

\--

Getting the trespasser into the secured meeting room was too easy. He simply followed Jerome, not even protesting the restraints placed around his wrists. Adam got the rest of the team to come inside, wanting to figure out what was going on. The person was about Jason’s height, having thick brown curly hair and eyes to match. He wore a faded purple hoodie that was torn in some places. The only clean item was a silver band around his middle finger. He stared at the team, giving each a long glance. Adam cleared his throat, getting all their attention.

“Who the hell are you thinking you can break into our base,” Adam asked, his tone was more amused than serious. Ian kicked him under the table, sending a glare to him.

“Your home,” the stranger answered, “a real base is a warehouse.”

Ty narrowed his eyes, as Ian crossed his arms. The stranger sat up a bit, getting some of the team to tense up. Mitch looked the most nervous, messing with his jacket hood that rested high on his neck.

“I go by Seto. I’ve been watching your crew with interest. I wanted to join but I wanted to see first how you all did under pressure in a big heist.” Seto spoke. With each word, Jason seemed to be connecting dots.

“You tipped them! No wonder the source came from our building,” Jason muttered the last part. Ty glared at Jason.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us that!” Ty half yelled.

“Better question how long have you been in our attic?” Quen asked.

“Three or four months,” Seto said with a hint of pride. Ian sighed, covering his face. Adam looked impressed, hands folding and covering his lower face. Seto looked to Adam, resting his arms onto the table.

“I want to join this crew,” Seto said, “I have a few talents you might need for high scale heists that get you on world news.”

“What are your talents?” Adam asked. Seto smirked, leaning back but kept his hand on the table.

“I make weapons. Alter guns and build small detonators,” Seto bragged. He seemed to get Ty and Quen’s attention with that. Ian looked to Jerome, both of them were trying not to show any sign of agreement. Adam moved his hands, pulling his chair closer to the table.

“How do we know you won’t betray us?”

Seto shifted in his seat, wrists straining against the restraints, “I’ve been betrayed by a lot of crews in this city. Your crew is a lot different than most out there.”

Everyone’s eyes wandered around, almost thinking in unison about the truth in the statement. Adam and Ian knew well enough that crews were mainly created from fear and indoctrination, not blind trust like what they have been doing. Adam looked to Ty, giving him a nod. Ty sighed and pulled out his switchblade with a click. Seto sat quietly as Ty cut off the restraints, being careful with the swipe. Adam stood up, reaching a hand out to Seto.

“Welcome to my crew.”

\--

The news exploded over the next few days about the bank robbery. Speculations were made as crews began to claim the crime as their own. The only thing wrong was that faces were caught, and now Adam and Ty had a bounty on their head. Their faces got a lot of talk about a new unnamed crew, except one thing.

“Fake!” Adam’s voice was louder than the tv playing. New’s reports were now convinced that this ‘new crew’ was fake and propaganda to hide a bigger picture. “I’m not fake!”

Jason was sitting on the couch, a silent laugh hidden behind his laptop. “They seem to think so.”

“This isn’t that bad Adam,” Ian spoke up from his place on the couch. “It’s better to be hidden than exposed to every crew.”

“Never say exposed ever again,” Ty said. He and Quen were on another couch together watching the news. Adam was still fuming.

“Adam’s got a point! How am I supposed to be famous now!” Quen said, laughing right after. Mitch was standing close by, watching the tv way too closely. Jerome was near him, looking between everyone. Those two had become friends, and Adam was glad since he was almost getting tired of Jerome’s constant attention since he was their leader.

“We can use it against them,” Mitch suddenly said. Ian muted the tv as they all looked to him. Mitch shrunk a bit, arms crossing in front of his chest. “I mean. They’re calling us fake. We’re unlike any other crew. Why not use it our favor?”

“The Fake Crew?” Jason echoed, surprisingly sounding curious. Adam’s frown became a smile as Ian sighed loudly.

“Adam no.”

“Adam yes! That’s a brilliant idea Mitch!” Adam exclaimed. “The Fake Crew! The unexpected!”

“It needs more pizazz. Maybe a dash of mystery,” Ty said. Seto, who had been sitting silently on the floor in front of the tv suddenly turned.

“Tc,” He said. “The crafted. If we mix up the initials we can confuse people.”

He looked to Mitch as if waiting to see if he approved. Mitch was the one to have come up with the idea. Mitch shrugged, thinking before nodding his head. “Sounds cool. How should we scramble it?”

“Better yet where can I spraypaint this so we can get our message out!” Quen added.

“Ftcc, keep fake at the beginning and crew at the end,” Adam said. Ian hummed in agreement at that. Mitch smiled which got Seto smiling. The crafted fake crew. The news was already changing subject to another feared crew who they suspected did the crime, but no one noticed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed the story. It took me two years to write edit and I'm really proud of it.


End file.
